Topics: Rogation Days: By Larry Bethel...St. Anthony of Padua: On Our Main Altar...The Millennium of Music: Streaming Audio Broadcasts....Blessed Imelda: Patroness of First Communicants....Benedict XVI Homily: Homily at Mass in Josaphat Valley....Saint John Chrysostom: Trembling Before the Sovereign Master of Heaven and Earth...."Cathedral of the Plains": Victoria, Kansas....Holy Cross Shrine: Pfeifer, Kansas....Catholic Bamberg: Vierzehnheiligen....St. Peter Students Learn: There Are Other Rites in the Catholic Church?....St. Boniface: Vatican Information Service....Thomas A'Kempis: For the Greater Glory of God and the Honor of The Blessed Virgin Mary....Our Lady of Fatima: From Salve Regina Blog
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Rogation Days
By Larry Bethel
The Lesser Rogation Days are in the Extraordinary Form calendar next Mon-Wed, the three days proceeding Ascension Thursday. They date from the 5th Century, and consist of 3 days of fasting and penance. Also, during these 3 days there are processions going from Church to Church while chanting the Litany of the Saints and a variety of Psalms. The Greater Rogation Day is April 25th.
From the fisheaters web site;
"Rogation" comes from the Latin "rogare," which means "to ask," and "Rogation Days" are days during which we seek to ask God's mercy, appease His anger, avert His chastisements manifest through natural disasters, and ask for His blessings, particularly with regard to farming, gardening, and other agricultural pursuits. They are set aside to remind us how radically dependent we are on Mother Earth, and how prayer can help protect us from nature's often cruel ways.
Here are a couple of paragraphs regarding Rogation Days from The Liturgical Year by Dom Gueranger;
"The object of the Rogation Days is to appease the anger of God, and avert the chastisements which the sins of the world so justly deserve; morever, to draw down the divine blessing on the fruits of the earth. The litany of the saints is sung during the procession, which is followed by a special Mass said in the stational church...
The litany of the saints is one of the most efficacious of prayers. The Church makes use of it on all solemn occasions, as a means of rendering God propitious through the intercession of the whole court of heaven. They who are prevented from assisting at the procession, should recite the litany in union with holy Church; they will be joining the supplications now being made throughout the entire world; they will be proving themselves to be Catholics...
...The Church uses the lenten colour, to express the expiatory character she is celebrating; but she is evidently full of confidence; she trusts to the love of her risen Jesus, and that gives her hope of her prayers being granted."
With Wichita every year having 100 year rains, with terrible drought and fires in California and other western states and the frightening withering of Christendom all over the world we need these Rogation Days! It doesn't look as if the episcopacy is planning on their return any time soon. So, barefoot processions are out. But, perhaps we can "prove ourselves to be Catholics" by praying the Litany of Saints in our homes for those 3 days and asking the Lord for His Mercy for our families, state and country.
The Litany can be found here: Litany of the Saints.
Saint Anthony of
him, and Anthony’s poor health forced him to abandon this plan.
The ship, on which he was a passenger, was driven off course and landed in S
In 1233, Francis of Assisi appointed Anthony the first professor of theology for the Friars. (This was a big step for Francis who had a distrust of the over intellectualization of religion.) Anthony is credited with introducing the theology of
In a recent post, you linked up some chant podcasts. I just discovered this site with streaming audio of broadcasts of a radio show not carried by any station in the Wichita area, The Millennium of Music: http://www.millenniumofmusic.com/
Even while posting this, I'm enjoying a recording of An English Lady Mass from the 15th century by Thomas Packe.
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Blessed Imelda
Patroness of First Communicants
Courtesy Salve Regina at http://paramedicgoldengirl.blogspot.com/
Blessed Imelda was born into a wealthy family in Bologna; she was a very pious child who begged her parents to allow her to become a Dominican when she was just nine years old. Her parents, though saddened at having to be separated from their only child, recognized God's will for their daughter, and Imelda joned the nuns at Val di Pietra. Her status among the nuns is unclear, but she received the habit and participated in the life of the nuns to some extent.
At that time, children were not allowed to make their first Holy Communion until they were fourteen years of age, but Imelda prayed continually that she would be able to receive Our Lord without having to wait so long. When she was eleven, after Mass on the Vigil of the Ascension, the Sacred Host was seen suspended amidst a brilliant light above Imelda's head. The chaplain, who was immediately summoned, gave the Host to Imelda. The nuns retreated to allow Imelda to make her thanksgiving. The prioress soon discovered, however, that Imelda, who had been in ecstacy, had died shortly after receiving her First Holy Communion, so much was she in love with Our Lord in the Eucharist.
Blessed Imelda was declared Patroness of First Communicants by Pope St. Pius X. Her historical feast day is May 12.
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Benedict XVI Homily
Homily at Mass in Josaphat Valley May 12, 2009
Alleluia!
As the Successor of Saint Peter, I have retraced his steps in order to proclaim the Risen Christ in your midst, to confirm you in the faith of your fathers, and to invoke upon you the consolation which is the gift of the Paraclete.
Precisely because of your deep roots in this land, your ancient and strong Christian culture, and your unwavering trust in God’s promises, you, the Christians of the Holy Land, are called to serve not only as a beacon of faith to the universal Church, but also as a leaven of harmony, wisdom and equilibrium in the life of a society which has traditionally been, and continues to be, pluralistic, multiethnic and multireligious.
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Here in the Holy Land, with the eyes of faith, you, together with the pilgrims from throughout the world who throng its churches and shrines, are blessed to “see” the places hallowed by Christ’s presence, his earthly ministry, his passion, death and resurrection, and the gift of his Holy Spirit. Here, like the Apostle Saint Thomas, you are granted the opportunity to “touch” the historical realities which underlie our confession of faith in the Son of God. My prayer for you today is that you continue, day by day, to “see and believe” in the signs of God’s providence and unfailing mercy, to “hear” with renewed faith and hope the consoling words of the apostolic preaching, and to “touch” the sources of grace in the sacraments, and to incarnate for others their pledge of new beginnings, the freedom born of forgiveness, the interior light and peace which can bring healing and hope to even the darkest of human realities.
In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, pilgrims in every century have venerated the stone which tradition tells us stood before the entrance to the tomb on the morning of Christ’s resurrection. Let us return frequently to that empty tomb. There let us reaffirm our faith in the victory of life, and pray that every “heavy stone” that stands before the door of our hearts, blocking our complete surrender to the Lord in faith, hope and love, may be shattered by the power of the light and life which shone forth from Jerusalem to all the world that first Easter morn.
Christ is risen, alleluia! He is truly risen, alleluia!
Benedict XVI
Homily at Mass in Josaphat Valley May 12, 2009
“When you are before the altar where Christ reposes, you ought no longer to think that you are amongst men; but believe that there are troops of angels and archangels standing by you, and trembling with respect before the sovereign Master of Heaven and earth. Therefore, when you are in church, be there in silence, fear, and veneration.”
- Saint John Chrysostom
"Cathedral of the Plains"
Saint Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria, Kansas
The "Cathedral of the Plains" is Saint Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria, Kansas. It has seating for 1,100 people, which, at the time of it's dedication, made it the largest church west of the Mississippi River. The church is 220 feet long, 110 feet wide at the transepts and 75 feet at the nave. Its ceiling is 44 feet above the ground and the towers are 141 feet tall.Three previous churches served the community of predominately German immigrants, but the present church was begun in 1908 and completed in 1911. The exterior is constructed of large native limestone blocks weighing from 50 to 100 pounds each.
The Romanesque design church contains German windows & works of art, Austrian hand carved stations of the cross, and Italian marble altar. The church is open to the public (free) from dawn to dusk. Stop by early on a Friday evening and you may be treated to the sounds of the Saint Fidelis organist rehearsing. Groups or individuals may arrange a guided tour by contacting Francis Schippers at (785) 735-2230.
Sunday Masses are celebrated in St. Fidelis Church at 5PM on Saturday and 10:30AM on Sundays Daily Mass is celebrated at 7PM on Wednesday and 6:45AM on the other weekdays.
St. Fidelis Catholic Church is not the seat for a bishop, so it is not a Cathedral. It received its nickname from William Jennings Bryan when he visited St. Fidelis in 1912.
Pfeifer, Kansas
Holy Cross Shrine in Pfeifer, Kansas is a magnificent 1918 church building which towers 165 feet above the handful of homes remaining in the town surrounding it. Although the Catholic parish served by Holy Cross Church was dissolved in 1993, the building itself remains open to the public on a daily basis. The few remaining parishioners formed Holy Cross Charities, a non-profit corporation that depends solely upon donations to maintain the church and nearby cemetery. Contributions may be sent to P. 0. Box 5, Pfeifer, KS 67660.
Holy Cross Church features a vaulted rib ceiling supported by decorative columns and pointed arches for the windows and doorways. The structure is 50 feet wide at the nave, and 75 feet wide at the transepts. At 165 feet high, the main tower is believed to be the tallest Gothic church spire in Kansas. The two side spires are each 100 feet high. Construction of the post rock limestone church began in 1915 and it was dedicated on May 3, 1918.
The building is in good condition. During my January, 2009 visit there was scaffolding in the sanctuary for painting that was about to be done, but it did not take away from the beauty of the structure. I was particularly taken with a smaller stain glass window which showed the church, wheat, and a sunflower.
The nearby Holy Cross Cemetery has many interesting ornate Volga German iron crosses and is worth a special visit.
The population of Pfeifer, Kansas is 13.
Catholic Bamberg: Vierzehnheiligen
Courtesy The New Liturgical Movement
http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/
“It was special for the kids. It was educational,” Father Tatro said. “Sister Mary Clare Johnson has been teaching about the universal church but to get an understanding beyond the parish, they talked about the Eastern Rite churches.”Sister Mary Clare is a member of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Wichita.The children learned that there is only one, universal Catholic Church, but it is made up of the Latin Church – by far the largest – and 21 Eastern churches. The 21 Eastern churches use one of eight rites. Rites are liturgical and disciplinary traditions used in celebrating the sacraments.
The following is from an actual report in a major anti-clerical publication, O Dia, in Fatima, dated October 17th, 1917:
"At one o'clock in the afternoon, midday by the sun, the rain stopped. The sky, pearly gray in color, illuminated the vast arid landscape with a strange light. The sun had a transparent gauzy veil so that eyes could easily be fixed upon it. The gray mother-of-pearl tone turned into a sheet of silver which broke up as the clouds were torn apart and the silver sun, enveloped in the same gauzy gray light, was seen to whirl and turn in the circle of broken clouds. A cry went up from every mouth and people fell on their knees on the muddy ground. The light turned a beautiful blue as if it had come through the stained-glass windows of a cathedral and spread itself over the people who knelt with outstretched hands. The blue faded slowly and then the light seemed to pass through yellow glass. Yellow stains fell against white handkerchiefs, against the dark skirts of women. They were reported on the trees, on the stones and on the serra. People wept and prayed with uncovered heads in the presence of the miracle they had awaited.
From the road, where the vehicles were parked and where hundreds of people who had not dared to brave the mud were congregated, one could see the immense multitude turn toward the sun, which appeared free from clouds and in its zenith. It looked like a plaque of dull silver and it was possible to look at it without the least discomfort. It might have been an eclipse that was taking place. But at that moment a great shout went up and one could hear the spectators nearest at hand shouting:
" A miracle! A miracle!" Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, whose aspect was Biblical as they stood bareheaded, eagerly searching the sky, the sun trembled, made sudden incredible movements outside any cosmic laws - the sun "danced" according to the typical expression of the people.
This was not the sparkling of a heavenly body, for it spun round on itself in a mad whirl, when suddenly a clamour was heard from all the people. The sun, whirling, seemed to loosen itself from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge fiery weight. The sensation during these moments was terrible."
It was in this apparition that the now famous three secrets of Fatima were told to Lucia dos Santos, Francisco and Jacinta Marto. They were disclosed in 1942, after they had been committed to writing in four separate memoirs between 1935 and 1941, by the surviving seeress - Lucia. The Secrets revealed by the Blessed Virgin in 1917 were:
· A vision of the reality of hell, previously described, which so horrified the visionaries that they willingly took on every penance and mortification they could imagine, if it could only prevent souls from going there. Mary said to them, "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart."
· "World War I will end soon. However, if humanity does not stop offending God, another and worse war will break out in the reign of Pius XI. When you see a night illuminated by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign that God gives you, that He is going to punish the world for its crimes by means of war, hunger, persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father. To forestall this, I shall come to ask consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my request is heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace. If not, Russia shall spread her errors throughout the world, promoting wars and persecution of the Church; the good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated; in the end my Immaculate Heart shall triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me which will be converted, and some time of peace will be given to the world."
· The third Secret, Lucia said it could be opened "not before 1960". Three Popes are reported to have read it in the years since 1960, but decided not to publicize the contents, until the Vatican released it in June, 2000.
VATICAN CITY, JUN 26, 2000 (VIS) - Given below is the complete translation of the original Portuguese text of the third part of the secret of Fatima, revealed to the three shepherd children at Cova da Iria-Fatima on July 13, 1917, and committed to paper by Sr. Lucia on January 3, 1944:"I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine.
"After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light that is God: 'something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White 'we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God."
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